Disguised funding and 'dishonest' witnesses - key revelations from City verdict — SkimNews
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- Manchester City were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18; only one element of the non-cooperation case was not proven.
- A "Disguised Funding Scheme" saw Abu Dhabi United Group covertly cover £830.69m of sponsorship fees, inflating reported commercial income from Abu Dhabi sponsors to £949.94m when those sponsors actually paid only £119.25m.
- The Fordham Arrangement overstated club income by £24.5m and understated expenses by £49.414m; the commission described the third-party vehicle as "little more than a front for ADUG."
- Three remuneration agreements worth nearly £17m paid by ADUG were omitted from City's accounts, alongside the Fordham-related manipulations.
- City witnesses were found to have given "knowingly untrue evidence" and been "dishonest" during 42 days of testimony from 27 witnesses in late 2024; the commission said the club made "concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the investigation."
- Manchester City have confirmed they will appeal the ruling, with a deadline of Friday, October 2 to file; the Premier League characterized the breaches as "extremely serious, significant, sustained and intentional or reckless."
Why it matters: The commission pinned £830.69m in disguised ADUG funding, nearly £17m in undeclared remuneration, and called witnesses dishonest — meaning City's October 2 appeal must overcome findings that frame the breaches as deliberate, sustained deception across nine seasons rather than technical accounting errors.
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